Inn at the Falls in Bracebridge, a 19th-century home turned boutique hotel, is widely considered to be among the most haunted buildings in Muskoka, if not all of Ontario.
It’s been featured in television shows and in books, and I had the good fortune of co-hosting haunted history tours there for a number of years.
Despite its infamy, few people know of the Inn’s connection to Simcoe County. That connection comes via William C. Mahaffy.
Born in Bond Head on March 1, 1849, William Cosby Mahaffy was the son of a well-respected Simcoe County physician. The elder Mahaffy was one of the leading citizens in Bond Head, so from an early age William learned about public duty and responsibility. His father’s example had a profound influence on his life.
William Mahaffy received a law degree from the University of Toronto and upon graduation accepted a position at a Barrie law firm. A few years later he wed Jessie Sarah Hughes, the daughter of a local businessman and politician, and began searching for ways to advance his career.
He decided the frontier town of Bracebridge represented a golden opportunity to escape the shadows of elder lawyers and to make his own mark. In many ways, Mahaffy and Bracebridge grew together. As a reflection of his ambition, he purchased an elegant and newly built elegant manor home, then known as The Rockies.
In the years that followed, Mahaffy would leave his stamp both on the building and upon the young town. In 1888, he was appointed the first District Judge of Muskoka and Parry Sound, at age 39 the youngest District Judge in Canada. In addition to serving as a judge, Mahaffy improved his finances through land speculation and real estate development.
While he was growing wealthy, Mahaffy was also rising within the ranks of fraternities such as the Loyal Orange Order, the Imperial Federation League, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. For many years, his home was the centre of social, political and economic life in Bracebridge.
By 1912, William Mahaffy was wilting under the debilitating effects of a disease, likely cancer. He went to England in search of treatment but never returned home, dying there on June 14, 1912, aged 63. A few years after the judge’s death, Mahaffy’s widow sold The Rockies. It’s been a hotel since 1943.
Some say the judge has returned to his beloved home from beyond the grave and that his restless spirit is responsible for all manner of eerie phenomenon, ranging from whispered commands to not turn off lights to the chilled touch of incorporeal hands. His ethereal form has apparently been seen on occasion, even photographed.
Born in Bond Head, Judge Mahaffy called Bracebridge home and, if you believe in such things, perhaps still does.
